To See Without Seeing
by Cles
Summary: An accident on a field renders Riza blind! But the military can't find out, or she'll be discharged. And... She can't very well be expected to take care of herself, now can she? ROYAI! CHAPTER 9 is out! Please R&R so I can improve my writing!
1. Bleach

Hey, look, a new story from me. Claps for Thalia for inspiring me to write Royai again.

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First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye woke slowly one Spring morning, birdsongs and sunlight streaming through her window almost lulling her back to sleep. But there was a day to be had and many, many things to do. A few languid stretches and eye-rubs later Riza was up and out of bed uniform on, pistols in place, and ready for anything the day could throw at her. Or so she thought.

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Eastern Headquarters was particularly quiet as Riza walked to her office that morning. At colonel Mustang's office she came across Havoc speaking with Breada, Fuery, and Falman in loud, animated sentences.

Riza passed her eyes over each of the men and sighed. "Shouldn't you all be working?"

"We were about to start ma'am," Fuery replied in a small voice, "but then Havoc started telling us about this amazing dream he had the other night."

"Yeah," Breada said enthusiastically, "he dreamt that all of Central was buried in snow. It was piled as high as HQ!"

Riza made a face. "Only you could dream up something so impossible, Havoc."

He shrugged, cigarette bobbing lightly. "I'm unique." After the exchange of a few more witty remarks from the other men, the phone at Falman's side began to ring. He scooped it up and had a brief conversation with the caller.

"That was Colonel Mustang, he said he's at the end of Twelfth street at the abandoned hospital," he spoke rapidly, gathering and handing out sets of field gear to each of them. "The police have cornered the December serial killer in the building and the Colonel wants us to infiltrate and retrieve him."

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Riza jogged to the colonel at the entrance of the rusting, decrepit gates. He nodded at her and each of the other men behind her. "December is on one of the three floors," said the colonel, "As far as we know, he's un-armed, but still expect the worst. Incapacitate, but under no condition is he to be killed. And remember to watch your step; the place is falling apart." He gave the orders quickly, almost abruptly, just like a commanding officer should. December was a dangerous, if not clinically insane, individual. "Fuery and Falman will patrol the first floor, Havoc and Breada second, Hawkeye and I have third," their eyes locked and a silent conversation passed between them. She gave him a curt nod for reply. They would most likely be the party to find December, and the colonel needed her keen perception and wit. Riza would give it gladly.

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Just as the colonel had said, the place was falling apart. Literally. Blocks of concrete rubble, large and small, blanketed the third floor hallway. Riza followed several paces behind Mustang, her eyes darting to and fro dark corners of rooms that had definitely seen better days. They crept in relative silence, using hand and lip signals when needed. December, he was called as such because his true name wasn't known, was notorious for his ability to blend in anywhere and for his creative use of the environments he hid in. Riza shivered involuntarily as she recalled the reports on his string of murders. One for each day in December, killed in progressively gruesome manners. She would make sure he paid for his crimes.

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After several minutes of tense anticipation, Riza and Roy came to a stop at the end of the hallway. Two sets of doors led into different wards. The signs that pointed to either direction read "psychiatric wing" and "sterile rooms." The colonel glanced at Riza and shrugged, offering for her to pick. Riza fingered the latch on her gun case and licked her lips nervously. She offered Mustang a swift salute and turned towards the sterile rooms. The colonel nodded and headed into the psychiatric ward, leaving Riza by herself in that section. Something told her December would be in her path.

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With the loads of dust covering every inch of the wing, it appeared that the sterile rooms were quite far from sterile. Not that she had expected them to be. Even still, as she went from room to room, the air was tainted with the underlying smell of stale antiseptic and other sanitary supplies.

Far, far down the hallway Riza's eyes detected a flicker in the light, a shadow much larger then a rat's darting across the wall. She deftly upholstered her pistols, apprehension buzzed at the back of her skull to a dizzying degree. Riza's cat-like steps grew faster and faster, lighter and lighter as she neared the shadow.

Something was wrong. The shadow swayed like cloth caught in the breeze and, when Riza stepped around the corner she saw that was exactly what it was. A bed cloth, yellowed with age, tied to the top of a window sill cast the shadow. A diversion. A diversion discovered too late for the shadow of a man now wrapped around her from behind. Time stilled as she turned, pistols raised, to meet her attacker. But once again, Riza was too late. She only managed one shot before the man threw a bucket of clear liquid at her. It ran down her face and seeped into her wide eyes. She screamed.

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When Roy heard the gunshot he ran, but the scream, a scream full of pain and fear, set him to a mad dash. He tripped over countless pieces of rubble on the way, feeling sharp, tiny bits of pierce his unprotected hands when he fell on all fours. Roy blasted past the doors that led to the sterile wing, his mind afire with terror. Then, at the very end of the hallway, he saw Riza. She sobbed on the floor, her hand wiping frantically across her eyes. Roy crouched beside her and grasped both of her hands. Riza shrieked and flailed her limbs wildly, her eyes clamped shut.

"Hawkeye, calm down, It's me," he cooed, "what happened?" Riza's hands flew back to her eyes with tears streaming past her palms.

"Sir...," she sobbed once more, "December threw something at my eyes... God, it burns so bad...," she let out something between a moan and a cry, "It must've been bleach..."

Roy blanched. "Lieutenant," he said, his throat going dry, "open your eyes." She gritted her teeth as if the action pained her. Roy waved his hand back in forth in front of her eyes.

"I can't see, you sir..."

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Was it okay? Let me know if my writing has gotten any better or, God forbid, worse.


	2. Watch out for the wall

Well, what'll ya know. A second chapter.

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Riza held a palm to her head, forcing herself to banish the fear. It was _very_ difficult. The darkness was surreal and altogether felt wrong. Riza knew the colonel was beside her. She could hear his hushed voice, smell the heat from his body, and feel his hand on hers. Her only anchor to the world. And slowly, she was able to master herself and ignore the pain. "Sir," Riza asked through a sniffle, "are my pistols still hear?"

"No," he answered almost instantly, a small edge to his voice. Riza heard the colonel ready his own pistol, then, the footsteps behind the him.

"Because," offered a tense voice, "I have them." Then she heard a gunshot and a snap.

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Roy hadn't had much time to react. He snapped, melting the gun, the bullet and December's hand simultaniously. The man fell back against the wall shrieking, his hand , or what was left of it, hung limply from his wrist. At the entrance of the hallway, Roy heard Havoc and the rest of the men hurrying towards them. "Havoc," Roy snapped as he lifted the silent Hawkeye to her feet, "deal with him." Havoc stared from him to Hawkeye, his cocked eyebrow asking the question that each of the other men must've been thinking. "Earn your pay now, explanation later." With that he turned to lead his Lieutenant out of the building.

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Walking blind on un-level ground was an odd affair for Riza. It felt as if she would trip or bump into a wall at any moment. But Mustang led her with the upmost care, and not once did she stumble. But when they came to the doors theat led outside, he stopped her.

"Sir?" she asked.

"I'm going to need you to open your eyes," he said with slight hesitation. Riza blanched, she hadn't realized that her eyes were closed. "I need you to act normal, if we go out and I'm leading you the military police will question us. And if it turns out your blindness is permanent..."

"I could be discharged," she finished. Riza sighed and hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "But sir, if it turns out that _this_ is permanent, won't you get in trouble for hiding it?"

Mustang placed a hand on her shoulder. "We should see a doctor first and get his diagnosis. The military won't hesitate to cut off a limb once it's crippled... No matter how important it is to me." Mustang mumbled the last few words but Riza head them clear as could be. They gave her the strength to shrug off Mustang's arm and walk forward. Into a wall. She rubbed her nose, which had received the brunt of the blow, and glared in the direction she had come from. Riza heard what sounded like a snicker from Mustang as he bounded over to her. She couldn't help laughing as well, and it made her feel a little better. "I'll be right behind you Riza."

Riza nodded and stepped out into the blaring sunlight. She walked very slowly in small steps, trying to keep to the broken-up pathway. When Riza stumbled, the steady click of Mustang's boots urged her forward. It was enough to keep her going all the way to the blockade at the gate. She heard the snap of several salutes and gave a slight nod forward. "Lieutenant Hawkeye," said a voice, "what happened? We head the gunshots." Riza felt herself grow cold. She couldn't figure out exactly where the voice had come from. Without a moments pause Mustang jumped to her rescue.

"December has been captured, the rest of my men should be out here shortly with him," he replyed tightly. Riza slumped, finally feeling the drain of the morning's events. Mustang gave her shoulder a light touch, signaling that it was time to go.

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As Roy watched the doctor examine Riza's eyes, he tried to think of what it would be like to be blind. Frightening, frustrating, and unnerving were a few of the things he was able to come up with. Roy frowned at the cliche irony of the situation. Of all the people knew, of all the people he cared about, what were the chances it would happen to _her_?

The doctor stepped away from the table that Hawkeye was sitting on and shook his head. "It's impossible for me to say if the blindness will be permanent, Ms.Hawkeye, but the bleach did a lot of damage. Only time will tell." The doctor the went over to his cabinets and pulled out a series of bottles filled with liquids and pills. He turned to Roy. "I assume you'll be taking care of Ms.Hawkeye?" Roy saw Hawkeye's head whip toward their voices, her eyebrows raised high and mouth opening to protest.

But he beat her to it with a simple yes.

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Yes, yes I know it's short, but you all still love me right? ... right?

— sorry to anyone who knows what it's like to be blind. I'm going on imagination here. PM me if you've got any suggestions.

Super thanks to these wonderful reviewers:

ithecello, Firing Rockets on Dragons, RR forever, winglessfairy25, Your favorite plushie, Azilie, WingedChunsa, Harryswoman, FLAMETAL, OTP, Nilmiel, and Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1 ---------much thanks, love ya!  



	3. amnisia maybe?

Hey. Look. Another update while I watch Monk. Guess where I got the idea for this fic from.

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It was about mid-day when Roy arrived with Hawkeye at her apartment. Since leaving the doctor's office a scowl had been fixed on Hawkeye's face. Roy hoped it wasn't permanent. As they climbed the stairs to her apartment Hawkeye stopped, her head turned in his general direction. "Sir," she asked, "don't you think it would be a bit more appropriate if one of the other men looked after me, or maybe another female officer…" In short, anyone but him.

"Hawkeye, I understand if you would be uncomfortable with me living with you, but-," for extra emphasis, Roy took her hand in his, "I know that you would do the same for me." He noticed with some astonishment a blush coloring his Lieutenant's cheeks, and he couldn't help but think it suited her. Roy ran his hand up Hawkeye's arm and to her warm cheek, tilting her head towards him as he began to ascend the stairs. "I'm going to stay as long as it takes for you to see again and then I'll leave."

At the door to her apartment, Hawkeye withdrew her keys from her bag and lifted her hand to give them to him. Roy put his hand under hers, close, but not quite toughing. The keys made a noise as she dropped them, her fingers just barely grazing his wrist when her arm fell. The contact made Roy's arm tingle and his insides constrict. He wanted more.

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During the drive to the apartment, Roy had decided in his head that his Lieutenant's home would be Spartan and immaculate. But upon entering the small space, Roy realized he had only been half correct in his assumptions. True, the place was devoid of much color and it boasted few furniture pieces, but it had something else. One could feel life in the place, and all at once it managed to be warm, inviting and quiet. Roy knew he would not mind spending the next few weeks or months here. Or maybe years if need be.

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After what seemed only a few minutes, Riza could feel Mustang at the side of the couch she was sitting on, tugging on his coat. "Hawkeye," he said ruefully, "I need to go back to HQ for a few hours and… if you don't have any objections, I'd like to tell Havoc and the others what happened."

Riza nodded. "Go ahead sir." It really didn't matter if the others knew. The only thing they would be able to do would be to pity her. She tried to imagine their reactions. Havoc would probably lose his cigarette, Falman would look down, Breada would most likely gasp, and Fuery might cry. And still she felt embarrassed and a little ashamed from the pity they would have. Riza nodded again at Mustang. "They should know sir."

"Is there anything I can make for you or get you before I leave?"

For a moment, just a moment, Riza thought about asking him to stay a little longer. She knew he would if she asked. Riza shook her head. "No, thank you sir. I'll be fine." She listened for his footsteps even after he closed the door behind him. "Be back soon," she whispered.

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Havoc leaned against his desk, a pile of papers on December to be filled out on one side, a carton of cigarettes on the other. The carton was less full. "So…," Fuery asked with a bit of hesitation, "what do you think happened between Lieutenant Hawkeye, the Colonel, and December? The Lieutenant looked pretty beat up…"

"Yheh," Breda said solemnly, "I could' a sworn I saw tears on her face…"

"And then there was the thing with Boss," Havoc put in thoughtfully. "He was leading her like she didn't know where she was."

"Maybe," Furey said with a gasp, "December hit her over the head and she has amnesia! Poor Lieutenant Hawkeye! We should all go over to her apartment and see if she's okay. Maybe if she see's a few friendly faces she'll remember…"

"Some people say that familiar smells are the best way to treat amnesiacs," Falman added with a scratch of his chin.

"What smells do you think she'd recognize?" Breda asked.

"Gunpowder," they each chorused simultaneously.

From the door, Roy sighed. "Hawkeye doesn't have amnesia," he said tiredly, "she's blind." As a shocked silence filled the office, Roy told them what happened in the hospital.

Out of respect for his wounded ally, shock, or dismay, Havoc put out his cigarette. Breda's mouth hung open, Falman hung his head, and Fuery wiped his eyes.

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Short again, I know. And don't blame me if anything sounds weird because I wrote this at 1AM. I'm seriously about to fall asleep.

Abounding thanks to my favorite people and kind reviewers \----------  
HunTResS ARasHi, Death. To. The. Color. Pink, SakuraTearDrop, Winglessfairy25, OTP, FLAMETAL, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, RRforever, Firing Rockets On Dragons, XO vampires XO, Izumi's Apprentice, mapssqo, WingedChunsa, foolish-sage, and ithecello


	4. He's a maniac

Hello, it's been a while. So long that I needed to go back and read the previous chapters to remember what the hell I'd written... Sorry for not updating and all that stuff, for anyone that was actually anticipating this chapter... I won't blather on. Here's chapter 4.

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Being the most outspoken of the group, Havoc was the first to speak. "What happened, boss?"

Roy shrugged off his coat and tossed it over his chair as he thought of what to say. "From what I can piece together, Hawkeye followed December into the sterile ward and he snuck up on her with a bucket full of bleach." Roy paused and rubbed his tired eyes. "I heard her scream and ran as fast as I could. He must've taken her guns and hid in one of the rooms because Hawkeye was alone when I found her." Roy turned and leaned uncomfortably against his desk.. "You all know the rest of what happened. And speaking of that," Roy said as he leafed through the blank reports on the corner of Havoc's desk, "what's being done with our guest?"

"Those are reports that need to be filled out and given to the records department, the Amstris maximum security prison where December will be sent to, and the Fuhrer," Falman answered from the back of the room.

"Where is he now?"

"Having his right stump wrapped up in the hospital on third street," Havoc said with a slightly sadistic grin.

"Really. I think I'll pay him a visit." Roy watched half-heartedly as them men each exchanged worried looks. "Don't worry, I'm not allowed to kill him... yet." To Roy's surprise, Fuery followed him to the office door.

"Sir," he asked somewhat hesitantly, "how did the lieutenant take it?"

Roy looked straight ahead as he spoke.. "The same way she takes everything else." Roy glanced back at the others who had now taken the reports to fill. "None of this conversation goes in the reports."

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Roy examined December from a small window at the top of the door to his room. He had thin wiry hair that came down in filthy tendrils and teeth that protruded from his mouth like crude spikes. December's eyes flittered to each corner of the room, searching for escape perhaps, and when the nurse turned her back he stared at her hungrily. Roy was surprised her didn't murder the oblivious girl right then and there. And the December noticed him at the door. He waved and motioned for him to come in.

When Roy entered the nurse looked up in alarm. "Oh, you must be Colonel Mustang. Welcome." She glanced nervously at December's right stump. "I'll leave you to your questions." She all but ran from the room, the door slamming in her hasty retreat.

"So!" December boomed after a few seconds of silent glares. "You_ finally_ caught me." He let out an exaggerated sigh and threw up his hands in mock defeat.

"It was bound to happen sooner then later," Roy countered evenly.

December laughed manically until tears came to his eyes. "True, true," he said with a small shake of his head, "but it came at a price..." Roy tensed. "Yes," he continued knowingly, "I saw the way you looked at her," he leaned forward, "and held her hand." December gave a theatrical sigh that made Roy's blood boil. "It must really be eating you up inside, I really feel sorry for you..."

"Me?" Roy yelled incredulously. "You're the maniac that threw a Goddamned bucket of bleach in my lieutenant's eyes!"

"Yes," he said almost blithely, "but it was _you_ that ordered her there, right? In that respect, the fault is yours my friend."

"Accidents in the field are always a risk, all officers know that."

"That doesn't change the fact that it was your fault. If you really cared about her, you could have just given her some paper work. Or killed her. That's what I did to all the people _I_ cared about."

December gave Roy a coy smile."And I'm sure it'll absolutely _kill_ her to never, ever see your face again." Roy had had enough. It was either stay and strangle the man to death or go back to headquarters. He regretfully chose the latter. December's voice followed Roy out the door. "I can't wait to see her again, and do let me know if she recovers!"

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Yes, I know blasphemously short and little Royai, but as long as I get reviews the next chapter will be much longer. You know I keep saying that, but it never seems to happen...

Not-so-lazy-reviewer-list of ch3----------------

Yun Min, Mappsqo, Livianno Seto, FLAMETAL, YourFavouritePlushie, winglessfairy25, Firing Rockets on Dragons, RR forever, Harryswoman, OTP, SakuraTearDrop, Dani-and-Taylor-Thenewcancers, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, dreximgirl, blknblupanther1, Kurissyma san Tybalt, unheardgoodconscience, Lyris88, and Patience Halliwell---------- much thanks and I'm so very sorry for the wait!


	5. A little charge

In the place of studying for Latin I give you chapter five.

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For how long Riza sat on the couch she couldn't say, but when the inaction became maddening and the only source of noise came from a sleeping Hayate, she knew it was imperative to find something to do. One of the first things that came to Riza's mind was to read a book, and when she realized a second later she couldn't, the hard truth of it all hit like a physical blow. Rather calm and in a surreal sort of way she said aloud each of the things she would quite possibly never do again. "I'll never walk Hayate again; he'd lead me into the street. I'll never use a rifle; never walk or run without being unsure as to where I'm going; never see snow, rain, or spring flowers; I'll never see him--," Riza shook her head, this was the worst time for her to become pessimistic. Dwelling on every little detail of her problem would get her nowhere, she decided adamantly.

Riza stood rather abruptly, and though she could see nothing she turned her head this way ant that. She went about her small livingroom and kitchen, her fingers grazing ever-so lightly over the surfaces of things. It was odd, for upon touching the soft fibers of the couch upholstery, and the woodgrain of her coffee table, Riza could_ see_ those objects. A clear mental image of them popped into her mind, like when she crouched down to examine the coffee table in greater detail she discovered for the first time a sizable nick or indentation in the wood. She would have to ask the colonel if he would fix it for her.

Then, after several minutes of using her new found sight, if one could truly call it that, Riza's fingers brushed across a cold, hard metal object. It was one of her favorite pistols, the one not melted during the colonel's rage. She picked it up gingerly and let the assault of memories and thoughts come with it. There positions had been reversed so rapidly; she once as the protector now became the protected. Riza slid her index finger across the slick contours of the pistol and sighed. It would be a shame to allow a firearm that had been so faithful to her to become unusable due to neglect... Without another thought, Riza located her cleaning supplies and set to work on the gun.

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Roy flew out of the hospital in a rage, his head throbbing mercilessly with each step he took. All the way back to HQ, December's words echoed through him, reaching right down into his heart where he knew at least some them of to be true. But Hawkeye would never think of it that way... Or would she. Even now, did she sit in her apartment cursing his name? Roy shook his head, laughing under his breath at the extent of his cynicism. After a moment of sitting in his quiet office, Roy was able to almost completely shake off his unfounded thoughts. He attributed them to simply being in the maniac's presence. Something about the man, his unwonted grin, the sheer frankness in which he spoke, or maybe the fact that he was an insane murderer, made Roy wish the death penalty was used more liberally in Amstris.

Then there was the way December had talked about Hawkeye. What had he meant by her being heartbroken to never see him again, or about Roy comforting the lieutenant by holding her hand? No, Roy knew exactly what December had been implying and he didn't like it one bit. The idea of that worm thinking Hawkeye was no more to Roy then an office plaything was infuriating at the least. He had half a mind to charge back into the hospital and tell the little wretch how competent and skilled Riza really was. So he did.

Without a word to his gaping subordinates, Roy once again ran off to the hospital. A short while later when Roy was back at December's door, he was let in by the mouse-like nurse. Only this time with December sitting comfortably by a window, the nurse said her greeting and remained in the room, busying herself by measuring out several foul smelling ointments. Needless to say, Roy felt rather silly standing there about to renounce ever having any kind of relationship with his lieutenant in front of the witless nurse. All through the awkward silence December fixed Roy with a benign smile. "The way you spoke about my lieutenant,-" Roy started out grimly.

"Oh don't worry," December winked in a conspiratorial manner. "I won't tell a soul!"

Roy blanched. "You misunderstand, there's nothing-,"

"I told you not to fret! I know exactly how these things are. Two military people fall in love, and when someone higher up catches wind of it they're both sacked. It would really be a shame if it were to happen to you..." December shrugged. "She may get sacked anyway on account of her... condition..." Roy clenched his jaw as the little man waved his stump at the nurse. "Nurse! Oh, nurse! The burns hurt so badly!" Roy could've sworn the nurse shot him a look as she rushed past him with the ointment. It was then that Roy realized he was fighting for a lost cause. The man only heard what he wished to hear, and to change his mind was like changing the course of a river. Roy left the hospital yet again, feeling like a fool.

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Riza knew Mustang would be back soon. She could no longer feel the warm sun rays drifting through her window, and the sounds out on the street had doubled in volume over the past half hour with workers returning home after a difficult day. Riza was in the midst of brushing out Hayate's matted fur when the phone sprang to life. Riza's heart skipped a beat as she stumbled towards it, but her excitement was quashed when it was Falman who spoke on the other end. There was a long pause in which Riza could just barely make out some frantic whispering.

"What can I do for you Falman?" She asked as kindly as possible, but she knew the man was nervous.

He cleared his throat, which sounded rather loudly in her ear. "Is the colonel there, lieutenant?"

"No, I haven't heard from him in some time..."

"Oh, then I suppose I'll try his home again, thank you," Falman replied with some finality.

"You could give me the message." For one heart wrenching second, Falman hesitated.

"Right. If you could just let him know that the higher ups want him to present the evidence against December at his trial in three days. Until then, Central HQ is responsible for detaining him..."

Riza felt an uncharacteristically large amount of anger surge within her at talk of December, and gripped the phone until she thought it might break. "Of course. Thank you for the message." Riza hung up swiftly, quickly mastering her simmering temper.

Then, with perfect timing as usual, Riza heard a knock at the door. "Hawkeye, it's Mustang," he called in a muffled voice. Riza made her way to the door and unlocked it for him, and instinctively with her lack of sight reached out into the doorway. She felt the colonel's large, calloused hand catch her own out of the darkness. They stood there, unmoving and silent for a small eternity. Then with unwonted grace, Riza stepped aside to allow the colonel in. "How are you?" Mustang asked as he walked past her and placed something on the couch. It was a simple question that demanded a simple answer.

"Fine, sir." Riza could feel his gaze on her, intense and unimpressed with her lack of emotion. For his benefit she added, "I learned how to 'see' things." Now, he switched to a questioning look. She pointed to the general direction of the coffee table. "While I was 'looking' at that table I saw a notch or hole that I'd never noticed before... It was interesting..." This time, Riza couldn't guess his expression.

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Roy stared at Hawkeye, and for once he was gald she couldn't see him; glad he couldn't see his own face. But by the extent of his clenched throat, he had a good idea as to what he looked like. Rather then let December's words creep back into his head, Roy busied himself with unpacking his luggage. Hawkeye went to his side, and he her saw nearly walk into the coffee table. He put a warning hand on her shoulder to stop any damage from being done. She nodded her thanks and asked what it was he had.

"It's just a few uniforms and other over night things," he stated blandly.

"If you'd like there's room in my closet to hang you clothes." She sat down briskly and proceeded to pet Hayate, who current interest was to sniff every inch of Roy's shoes. He laughed for what seemed like the first time in ages, prompting a stifled giggle from his ward. He stepped away to her bedroom and opened up her closet with little trepidation. Only when Roy peered inside did he realize the full extent of the line he had just crossed into his lieutenant's personal life. The clothes smelled like her, gunpowder and woman; not unpleasant at all. Belatedly, he took in the extent of her wardrobe. On one side hung a various assortment of standard issue uniforms and combat suits; the other sun dresses and other outfits Roy would die to see her in. And also, too late, he felt Hawkeye's presence behind him.

"Unless I'm wrong, it doesn't usually take this long to hang up a few uniforms... sir..."

Roy laughed and closed the closet. "No need to worry, lieutenant, I was just admiring a particularly eye-catching red dress." Hawkeye gaped at him and then turned away quickly. Roy thought of another interesting garment he had seen next to the dress, but decided against incurring her wrath.

On a whim, Roy went back to his bag and withdrew a stick of chalk. He found the previously mentioned nick in the coffee table and wracked his brain for the necessary alchemic symbols to fix it. When his memory finally served him, Roy drew the symbol and threw a handkerchief in it. He watched as the symbol activated and as the handkerchief disappeared into the now filled hole. Roy grinned and ran an appraising hand over his work. It fit nicely, he thought, better then he thought it would turn out. Riza sat beside him on the floor and also touched the new addition. In doing so, her wrist brushed his outstretched fingertips. Most would have called it an insignificant touch, but from the spark he had just felt, and knew Hawkeye had felt as well, they froze. It was a cool wind on a hot summer day, relaxing, tension lifting. At the same time he could feel a storm of emotion building stronger and stronger for each second they touched. It was unnerving and thrilling, a dangerous combination that he truly did not understand.

And then, just as he turned his head to Riza's, the two jumped at a distinct and rather loud whine. "I think Hayate needs to pee," Roy said blandly. Hawkeye raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really, sir?" Hayate let out another pathetic whine.

"Possibly." Riza nodded sagely and went over to the coat rack where she retrieved a leash and overcoat. When she began to put on the coat, Roy became confused. "Are you sure you want to go out, I can take him by myself..."

"I need fresh air," Hawkeye said simply, letting the true extent of her need carry through her voice. Roy let his understanding be known in the from of a pat to her arm, nothing more for fear of setting off another charge. Roy followed Riza out into the hallway, with one hand holding Hayate's leash, the other hesitantly grasping her hand.

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All down the steps to the bottom level Riza could sense Mustang's reluctance at being forced to stay so close to her. Though she couldn't imagine why he would be so distant. To her, his presence was a great comfort; probably even more so then she actually knew. Part of her, a very small part, wanted to just ignore Mustang's discomfort and continue walking, but that would've been selfish, she thought.

When they were outside, Riza jerked her hand away and continued walking in a straight line as best she could. "Hawkeye!" she heard Mustang's urgent voice a few paces back and stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked with a bit of an edge to his voice.

Riza smiled and shook her head. "Nothing sir, I just want to lead myself." A disappointed silence hung about them, so Riza continued forward, toward a near-by park.

"But Hawkeye..."

"Sir, if anyone sees us out here holding hands questions will be asked..." It was at least part of the truth, and the colonel seemed to accept it as the whole of her reasoning. "Just don't let me walk into the street," she added to level out the mood. It worked, and for the rest of the trip to the park the were both contentedly quiet.

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Although puzzled by Hawkeye's rejection of his help, Roy watched over her intently as she grazed telephone poles and tripped on cracks in the sidewalk. Without any serious injury, the two arrived at the grassy tree shaded park, deserted at this late time of night. The air had a wet, dewy sent to it that only became thicker the further they went under cover of the trees. They found a secluded bench and sat as Hayate trotted off to do his business. "Sir, " Riza said through a yawn, "Falman called earlier, did he ever get a hold of you?"

"No, what did he have to say?"

"December is going into our custody until the trial in three days and you're to present the evidence against him..." Roy groaned inwardly, and decided against telling the lieutenant about his two meetings with the lunatic. He turned to Hawkeye to say something about a completely un-related topic, but found that her eyes were closed and her head was tilted at a most uncomfortable looking position. Roy chuckled and whistled softly for Hayate. After wrapping Hayate's leash securely around one arm, Roy gingerly slipped his arms underneath the slumbering lieutenant and lifted her off the bench.

Back at the apartment Roy, was able to transfer Hawkeye to her own bed without waking her once. It didn't surprise him that she was so tired, it had been a terribly long day. Before he knew it, Roy's own fatigue had caught up with him, and he wavered where he stood. By the next minute, Roy was on the couch with his coat thrown over his shoulders and one of Hawkeye's scarves under his head. It was with the lingering sent of Hawkeye's hair that he nearly drifted off to sleep, but as he laid there, with all his thoughts revolving around her, Roy's mind couldn't help straying back to December's words. And all through the rest of the night Roy contemplated what it would mean if the madman had actually been right.

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Better? Maybe? I think so, but I'm very sleepy right now, and I tend too think odd things when I get sleepy. Uhuh, and it doesn't help that I keep hitting the wrong keys...

Not-so-lazy-list---------------------

Izumi's Apprentice, Ru-Doragon, Kyasrin-Maarukeehii1, Kurissyma san Tybalt, Firing Rockets on Dragons, winglessfairy25, Azilie, Yun Min, Harryswoman, YourFavouritePlushie, Lyris88, Dragnotchi, The Flaming Bitch Alchemist, Blaze Alchemist, and sniperalchemist---------------------------- As always, much thanks to anyone who bothers to read my stuff!


	6. An incident

Hello. I know it's taken me forever to post this new chapter, so sorry. I can't really think of a good excuse, but I missed Royai and I wanted to continue writing it. So, I can't really say how sorry I am, but here's the sixth chapter…

Disclaimer: Obviously, FMA is not my story

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**R**iza sighed and rolled onto her stomach, her mind still swimming in the fog of sleep. During the night she had had an oddly vivid dream, and now she clung to the memory of it. Even as the images of the dream faded she could still recall the intoxicating peacefulness of it. And then, as it occurred so often, the dream slipped away completely.

Sounds of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen, but she chose to ignore them. She sat up slowly as the previous days events replayed in her mind. Riza remembered the call from the colonel and rushing off to the old hospital. She remembered when the colonel had picked her to search the third floor with him, the trust that his eyes had held. Then there was the tense hour that she and the colonel had spent sifting through the rubble of the third floor. Riza attempted to skip the next part, tried to bury the memory, but it forced its way up. How could she have been so careless? So stupid? To have fallen into December's trap… it was humiliating.

Once, on the battle field, Riza had seen a man killed because he had not been paying attention to the enemy troops positions. He had walked right into a group of them and she had been helpless to save him. Riza had felt horrible at the time and still wondered if she could have done anything else to have helped him. She had tried to warn him, tried to snipe all of the attackers, but in the end it had done no good. When ever those thoughts surfaced Riza had placated herself by saying that it had been the man's own fault and that he shouldn't have let his guard down.

For just a moment Riza wondered if the colonel felt that way. Did he think she was a fool for falling into December's trap? Or maybe he blamed himself. If the latter was the case, Riza didn't think she could bear it. The colonel had done so much for her in the past and the very last thing she wished to do was burden him. She left her room for the kitchen then, determined to send colonel Mustang back to his own home.

After a minute or so of searching for the door Riza's fingers found the doorknob. She was surprised, to say the least, when the door flew open and pushed her backwards. Already in and unbalanced stance, Riza felt herself begin to fall. She clutched frantically at the air and cursed herself for picking hardwood instead of carpet. Just before she hit the floor, however, strong hands grasped her wrists and held the upper half of her body suspended in mid-air.

"Forgive me Hawkeye, are you alright?" The colonel's voice sounded frantic to Riza's ears and almost a little frightened. She waited a moment to respond, for the sake of her nerves, and Mustang set her back into a normal standing position.

"I am fine, sir… I just was not expecting that." She heard the colonel chuckle nervously as he led her to one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"It's my fault… I should have knocked." Riza listened to the odd inflection of Mustang's voice, particularly unnerved by the long pause between the two sentences. She waited for him to continue, but he dropped what ever thought had been plaguing him and resumed a cheerful disposition. "I hope you like pancakes and bacon, lieutenant, it's one of the few meals I can actually cook well!"

Riza was miffed by the way the colonel forced himself to sound cheerful, but nodded nonetheless and gave him a small smile. "I love pancakes and bacon, thank you for making them." Mustang placed a plate in front of her and hovered at her sided for a moment.

"Here, let me cut it for you." Before she could protest, Mustang circled one arm around her right shoulder and the other around her left. She felt him lean over her awkwardly, and felt the light tickle of his hot breath at the nape of her neck. Riza sat very still, marveling at the acuteness in which she could feel his every movement without seeing it. When he had finished she heard him place the knife and fork back in their respective positions. He waited a moment before releasing her, and Riza wished more then ever that she could see his face.

**R**oy hurried back to his own seat which was across from the lieutenant's chair. He ate his breakfast slowly, his eyes flickering every now and then to see how Hawkeye fared. By his fifteenth glance she had finished most of her pancake and had moved onto the bacon. Still, her brow was furrowed slightly as she could sense his thoughts. He knew that Riza Hawkeye was an abnormally perceptive person, and it was therefore near pointless to try to hide his thoughts and feelings from her. It sickened him that he was glad she was not able to read his face. He had spent the better part of the night wondering what would have happened if he had just gone with Hawkeye to the sterile ward. Would she still have her sight? Most definately. Would December had been caught? It was difficult to say. If it meant that his lieutenant would still be able to see Roy would have gladly given December another day of freedom. His capture had been inevitable.

Out of the blue, Hawkeye looked up from her now finished plate and asked him what time it was. Roy flicked open his pocket watch. "It's eight-twenty. Why?"

Roy was oddly relived to hear the usual exasperation in Hawkeye's voice. "Sir, I know that you are usually late, but people will think it suspicious enough if we arrive at HQ together let alone late."

"What time do you usually get to the office at?" Roy asked though he dreaded to hear her answer.

"Most days I arrive at seven-thirty…" she paused, as if considering, "… but I like to get there earlier."

Even though the conversation had started with a joking tone, Roy felt himself grow guilty. Lieutenant Hawkeye was one of the most dedicated, hard working individuals he had ever met. Despite everything she had done for them, if the higher ups found out about her injury she would be sacked immediately. Roy had seen it happen before and in none of those cases had it ended well for those that were let go. Roy quickly banished those thoughts from his head. Hawkeye would get better eventually, and then things would go back to normal.

"Sir…?"

"It's nothing lieutenant," Roy used a tone that conveyed that the matter was closed. He sighed and cleared the plates. "Do you… need help getting ready?" Roy had thought that her face would hold indignation, but instead he saw a hint of blush.

"No, thank you sir… Just, um… let me know if anything is on inside out." Roy gave his assent as he led Hawkeye back to her bedroom. She closed the door between them and Roy was left alone in the hallway.

**R**iza carefully felt her way over to her closet. She managed to identify one of her uniform sets by the fringe on the shoulder and then threw it onto her bed. Out of her bureau she recovered a new bra, underwear, and socks. She felt the lace on the bra and underwear and thought they were a pair, but she could not be sure. She tossed them on the bed as well and made her way to the bathroom on the opposite side of the bedroom.

Riza was much more wary of this room then all the others because of a few factors. The sink had devilishly pointed corners, and if she didn't pay attention she could end up with a terrible bruise. The same fear of bruising came from the toilet, the hamper, and any number of low leveled objects she might not think to watch out for. Not to mention the possibility of tripping over the shower ledge and smashing her face into the ground.

It did not take long, however, for Riza to forget her troubles and surrender to the relaxing hot shower. She welcomed the steaming droplets and would have been content to spend the rest of the day standing there. Though she hated to admit it, Riza was terrified of going to headquarters. The doctor had said that her eyes were red and swollen. Would one of the higher ups make the make the medic at HQ check her? Or would they just think that she had been crying?

Knowing that it was pointless to delay any longer, Riza finished rinsing the last bit of soap off her body and stepped out into the steam filled bathroom. After feeling around the bathroom Riza realized that she did not have any clean towels. She remembered, with some dismay, that she had planned to do her laundry the previous night. Riza sighed and improvised by drying herself off with a hand towel. She walked out into the bedroom naked- after stubbing a toe on the doorframe- and immediately froze.

**A**fter Roy had cleaned up the dishes, he realized that his uniforms were inside the Lieutenant's closet. He knocked on her bedroom door, and when he recived no answer Roy cracked the door open. He heard the shower running in the far corner of the room and decided that it was safe to enter. Upon entering, Roy found his eyes drawn to Hawkeye's bed. He saw that she had laid out her uniform haphazardly on the bed. On an impulse, he arranged it in a less wrinkle inducing position… and was rewarded with the discovery of Hawkeye's undergarments. At first his gentlemanly side took over and he refused to look at them, but he found that he could not resist. They were both made of light blue lace- in a cut and pattern he had never expected his stalwart sniper to wear. He had enough self control to not touch them, but could not keep himself from staring.

It was because of that fixation that Roy did not hear when the noise of running water from the bathroom ceased. He was ripped out of his trance when the door to the bathroom opened. Roy turned in time to see his Lieutenant, the woman he had known, trusted, and loved secretly for so many years, completely and totally bare.

Though he tried to stop himself, Roy's eyes hovered over her, taking in every inch. She had pale, almost glowing skin that covered a sleek, well toned body. Her legs were long, but powerful like a deer's. His eyes automatically skipped over the next part, lest he find himself with a problem. Her stomach was flat, and he noted a few of the scars she bore from the war in Ishbal. Roy did not think that the little marks marred her near perfect form; instead they added to it, making her real and corporeal. Her breasts were nether small nor large, and were high and firm. He held his breath as a droplet of water dropped from her hair to the hollow between the two. And then his eyes met her eyes, and had he not known the truth he would have sworn she could see him. Her amber eyes were wide with surprise, her cheeks aflame with a scarlet blush, and her mouth agape in disbelief.

"… Colonel Mustang…?" His Lieutenant's voice was bone chillingly cold.

Roy cleared his throat and did his best to focus on her face. "Yes Lieutenant…?" Hawkeye remained in the exact position she had been when he had first seen her, and he wondered how exactly she had know he was there.

She took in a deep breath which caused her breasts to rise and fall slowly. Her voice was the most threatening he had ever heard it. "If you leave this room in the next five seconds I will try to forget that this incident ever occurred."

After retrieving his uniform from the closet, Roy hurriedly backed out of the room. For the first time in his life, Roy felt that he was truly in danger.

**R**iza stood in the bathroom doorway for another minute, waiting for her heartbeat to slow. She did not know which was greater; her fury or her embarrassment. She could feel the heat radiating from her face and neck, and also the anger buzzing in the back of her skull. Riza stumbled over to the clothes she had laid out and bumped into the bedpost. A loud curse escaped her lips as she nursed the spots that would surely bruise. It took her the same time to dress as usual, for her mind was still in an angry haze and she practically ripped her socks as she jammed them on her feet.

By the time she entered the kitchen Riza felt much of the indignation fade. She realized that it had- or had most likely- been an accident. She would be willing to forgive this one transgression if nothing like it occurred again. Deep, deep inside her, in the thoughts she never dared to allow to surface, Riza wondered if her colonel had liked what he had seen. She would never be vain enough to think that she could capture his heart with just her body, but she still wondered what he had thought of her.

Riza could tell that colonel Mustang was in the living room. She heard his fingers rubbing his eyes and his muffled breathing. She did not hear him turn towards her, but she knew that he had heard her approach.

"Riza," he said, "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to… I mean, I was just-," Riza cut off the colonel's pleading, unable to bear it for another second.

"Sir, it's alright. It was an accident." She grinned at him, hoping to lighten the situation. "I know that your volunteering to take care of me was not part of some grand plot to see me naked. That would be far too ingenious for you to follow through with," she added. Riza held out her arms. "How did I do? No inside out shirts, right?" She heard him turn around and step closer to her and, to her relief, laughter in his voice.

The colonel poked at her shirt sleeve, pretending to examine it. "Not bad, but your hair is a mess; where do you keep your brush?"

"First drawer on the right hand side of my bureau… Why?" Colonel Mustang guided her into on of the chairs at the kitchen table and pushed her down onto it.

"Sit here, I'll be right back." He returned a few moments later and took a position behind her. When he separated the first section of hair from the rest Riza felt a shiver cascade throughout her entire body. She was glad of the bulkiness of their uniforms, for it helped to hide her involuntary physical reaction to his touch. Riza had never thought that a casual touch could make your heart beat madly, but when his fingers grazed the back of her neck she had to bite her tongue in order to hold back a gasp. She sat rigidly with her fingers curled tightly in her lap, lest she give away her most guarded secret to him.

It seemed to take the colonel a very long time before he was satisfied with the appearance of her hair, but when he stepped away she felt suddenly cold and alone. It was frightening and at the same time exhilarating to know that the person best suited for you was but a step away. In Riza's case, her stood even closer as he took her hand and led her down the stairs to the car. With such a man by her side, Riza knew that she would be able to pass any test the day might throw at her. She was sure of it.

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**W**ell, I hope you liked it,. From now on I hope to post regular chapters, and I'll try to get the next one up ASAP… Btw, you can all thank The Firewolf Alchemist for this post.

Not-so-lazy-list: winglessfairy25, Kurissyma san Tybalt, Firing Rockets on Dragons, kakashifan915, YourFavouitePlushie, Dragnotchi, Izumi's Apprentice, Celestial Wolfen, Yun Min, The Flaming Bitch Alchemist, Lyris88, OTP, narikohime, Ru-Doragon, Tears of a Broken Sniper, Harryswoman, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, Sousukes-Girl, and RoyXRiza…. Thank you, and yet again I'm so sorry for the delay!


	7. Drops

Sorry… I did it again and took forever to update. Gosh I wonder if anyone even remembers this fic. Haha… Anyway, I was re-inspired by chapter 100 to continue this. College essays can wait, this is far more entertaining ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters in any way.

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As Riza exited the apartment complex with the colonel she felt the warmth of the sun beat down on her. She looked up, squinting instinctively, searching for the source of the light. Of course with her condition there was nothing for her to see, and the squinting was therefore unnecessary. Riza could not properly understand why she was disappointed, but she turned away with a painful tug in her heart.

"Lieutenant," said the colonel from a few paces ahead of her, "do you need a hand?"

"No; thank you sir, I'm alright. I just needed a second to get my bearings, that's all." What was the point of her telling the truth if she could not explain it to herself in the first place? Riza would not allow herself to complain; she would not subject the colonel to any more worries than she already had. This was a problem she had brought on herself and she needed to handle it accordingly. At least she had to try.

As if he had heard her thoughts and wished to contradict them, the Mustang placed his hand on her shoulder and eased her into the passenger seat of the car. By the time she managed to buckle herself in the colonel had gotten into the opposite side and had begun to drive. She heard him rummage through the glove box for something, but the car jerked and weaved with his attention diverted.

"Sir," Riza yelped. "Please pay attention to the road! What were you looking for? I'll find it."

"Glasses." Mustang said, and he paused, waiting for a reaction from her. "I picked them up from the pharmacy yesterday."

Riza smiled ruefully. She wondered how red her eyes really were. "That's right, I'll need to put on a good performance for the rest of the military. Though it will be odd for a sniper to begin wearing glasses out of the blue."

Mustang let out a quick chuckle, though it clearly was not an amused one. "Ah but these are just for reading; so that your eyes won't be damaged by constant use. Any practical person would understand. That, and they'll suit you so well that I doubt anyone will question it."

As the car stopped by the steps of the Central Command Riza's fingers located the delicate wiring of the glasses. She slipped them on and tilted her head towards Mustang's direction. "Well," she asked, "were you right about them suiting me?" For a long while the colonel did not respond; long enough that she began to worry. Could it really be that bad? She was surprised, to say the least, when his fingers brushed against her temple and adjusted the glasses. At that moment, in the quiet confines of the car, Riza felt safe and she wanted to stay there even just for one second longer.

"I was right," he told her. "this might just work after all. Well, let's get on with this." Riza could hear the sounds of other officers walking to the command center. This would be the first test. The colonel handed her a stack of papers, and lightly touched her shoulder as a signal to begin walking up the stairs. As they ascended Mustang began to whistle, and Riza realized that she could time her footsteps to his tune. One-step-two-step-one-step-two-step… It was a great help, but in the end she still stumbled as they reached the top landing. Riza couldn't help kneeling there; her legs refused to move. Who did they think they were going to fool? It was ridiculous to try and pretend she could see. If she handed in her resignation papers without any fuss the colonel would be spared the blame for hiding her condition and they could both get on with their lives. Riza had saved enough over the years and still had much of her inheritance left over; she could live comfortably. And the colonel would find someone to replace her easily, someone who would actually be able to serve him. That last thought was the most painful to admit, but it was the truth. He didn't need her any longer.

Riza gritted her teeth and looked up towards the sun-less spot she knew was the colonel's shadow. She still heard the sounds of others stopping, whispering to each other. "Sir I can't-"

"Lieutenant!" Colonel Mustang barked. "Thank you for picking up those files. You can hand them to me now."

The whisperings stopped and the footsteps continued passing by. "Sir I-"

"We need to get to these reports," the colonel said loudly. His hand latched onto her own and he dragged her off of the ground to a secluded corner of the vestibule. There was a long silence in which Riza could only hear the forced, even breaths the colonel was taking. The area was cramped, and became even more so when he leaned next to her ear. His breath tickled her skin and she waited with a knot in her stomach for his words of reproach. She knew she had let self-pity take over her just a moment ago; part of her still thought it would be easiest if she filled out the resignation sheet. However, Riza also knew that if she did that she would be a defeated woman, and she would've given up the one thing she truly cared for in life. It hit her then how much weakness she had shown to the colonel and she was mortified. What must he think of her now, after seeing such a display? She dreaded to find out.

"Lieutenant," the colonel murmured, "please don't give up on me yet." That was all. No words of rebuke or ridicule. 'Don't give up on him?' How could he ever dream that she would? He was the person she trusted most in life, every action she took revolved around him. Riza felt a light tug on her sleeve and heard the colonel begin to walk. It was time to go.

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Roy wiped a hand over his face in an attempt to calm himself. He had almost lost it back there, seeing the pitiful look on her face. He had wanted to yell in frustration and hug her tightly at the same time. Neither would have helped one bit. It was clear that the lieutenant did not think his plan would work. What reason did she have to trust him after everything that had happened anyway? Roy chanced a look back at her as they walked and held back the urge to reach out to her. He could tell that she was struggling to keep a normal pace, and he saw her arm twitch every now and again as if she was resisting holding it out in front of her. Hawkeye was a very independent woman, and from her display the other night when they had walked to the park he was sure that she would resent him (even more than she already did) if he continually did things for her.

Outside of Roy's office Farman, Breda, Furey, and Havoc were sitting at their respective desks. The men darted up as he and Hawkeye approached, the concern evident on each of their faces. "Lieutenant,-" Furey began, but Roy held up a hand to quiet him. He gave them each a 'don't bother us now and get back to work look' and continued into his office with Hawkeye.

"I am doing better," he heard the lieutenant say at back to the men, "please don't think too much of this." Roy shut the door after she was safely inside and led her to the couch in the corner of the room. Hawkeye wanted to say something, he could tell by the way her brow was furrowed and the firm set of her jaw. "How… how did they look?" She asked quietly.

"They are very worried. After all, you're the only one who can keep order around here." He smiled, remembered that she could not see it, and sighed. An idea struck Roy then and he grinned. Before she could protest Roy snatched up the lieutenant's hand and placed her fingertips overtop of his still smiling lips. She gasped and it only made his grin stretch further. "I know I've made a big mess of things, this is all my fault. If only I had done things differently, if only…" Roy trailed off and gripped her hand tighter. He waited, still holding Hawkeye's fingers to his lips. Now was her chance to confirm his fears, to tell him that he had failed her. Instead she smiled, and with her fingers she forced the corners of his mouth up so that he was smiling as well.

"None of this is your fault," she told him seriously. "Not this accident, not me joining the military, and not what I did in Ishval. They were each a product of my own choices." Hawkeye tilted her head away, an unreadable expression on her face. "I am sorry for earlier, if you had not picked me back up I… Well, just know that I never meant to make you believe that I had lost faith in you."

Roy sighed heavily and sat down on the couch next to Hawkeye. She had always been able to read him so well, and not for a second did he doubt the conviction of her words. It was he who had lost faith and she had dutifully brought him back. A silence settled over them and Roy was content to simply watch his most trusted aide. She looked tired, and she must not have realized that he was watching her because she had never before let him stare for so long without comment. Suddenly she ripped the glasses off of her face and began to rub her eyes vigorously. "Hawkeye are you alright?" he asked hurriedly.

"I'm alright, my eyes just feel a little odd, like they're tingling." She shrugged it off but Roy was not convinced. Something was wrong.

"Let me try putting in those eye drops the doctor gave us, maybe they'll help. Lean your head back," Roy ordered. Carefully, Roy shifted so that he was straddling her on the sofa. Her body, so agonizingly close, tensed beneath him, but he pretended not to notice. With one hand he cradled the back of her head, and he found guilty pleasure as he threaded his fingers through the soft locks of her hair. The other hand held the tiny vial over top of her right eye as he squeezed the liquid out of it. She hissed as the first drop made contact, her features constricting in pain, and her hands gripped the front of his shirt. "Sorry," he whispered, "just one more then it will be over." He repeated the process with her left eye, and this time she was better prepared so her reaction was more controlled. Still, after it was over her eyelids were held tightly closed and she had not let of him. Roy, for his part, did not mind if they remained in this position for the rest of the day. With his thumb he gently wiped away the excess liquid from the corner of the lieutenant's eyes. Her breathing eased and she lifted her head up. After some deliberation Roy craned his head down towards her own and cupped her chin gingerly. He made a show of touching and examining the area around each eye. "Looks like the redness has gone down a bit," Roy said.

Hawkeye let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Good, I was worried you'd spotted something out of the ordinary."

"No; everything is beautiful." On an impulse he quickly brushed his lips overtop of her eyelids. While she was frozen from shock Roy took his chance and hurried back to the safety of his desk.

"Sir why did you-"

"Don't trouble yourself lieutenant, there was I was just taking care of some left-over medicine." Roy could not tell whether she bought his excuse or not; as soon as he had finished speaking Hawkeye placed the glasses back on her face and turned the other way. No doubt to hide the rest of the blush he could see creeping from under her uniform's collar.

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A/N There we go, nearly a year and another update. I will try to get more focused on this, and I do promise more Royai in the next chapter. I realize I'm a bit rusty at this but I think I got it back in the end… Reviews and cookies help =D


	8. Pretty Papers

**Super fun! A new chapter! So lately I've been going a bit crazy trying to find one particular picture of Roy and Riza. It was my desk top picture three years back but, silly me, I never actually saved it… Now its like it never existed and I'm sad =C **

**Geeze, I just read chapter 100 again and was near tears… **

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**The rest of the morning the office was very quiet. Roy sat at his desk and put together all of the files that would be used to prosecute December. It took a long time to compile everything but by mid-day he was certain that he had all of the information that would be needed to lock up the man for good. It would not be true retribution but it was the best he could do considering the circumstances. Roy glanced overtop of the file he was reading at Lieutenant Hawkeye. He wondered what he could do for her; while he had been working she had sat motionless on the sofa with her hands folded on her lap. Roy looked at all of the data he had just pulled together, a massive stack of papers sitting on the edge of his desk. Casually, he swung his arm at the stack and the papers scattered all over the floor in a giant heap. **

"**Damn! Lieutenant," he called, "help me get these back together." Hawkeye came out of whatever thoughts she had been thinking with a start and she stumbled over to where he now sat on the floor. He tugged at her pants to bring her down to him, and Roy began to hand her the papers. "The ones on vellum paper put in this pile," he told her, "and put regular faxes here." Hawkeye nodded without comment and began separating them and Roy shifted closer to her. As he reached for one file, Hawkeye's hand landed over top of his. She tried to retract quickly, muttering an apology, but Roy took her hand and held it. She had such delicate fingers, yet he knew that they were capable of pulling a trigger. Roy wondered why she did not have the same calluses that his own hands bore. He wondered why she had not yet pulled away. The lieutenant's face was blank, but her lips parted as if she were about to speak. Roy's heart beat painfully as he waited. **

"**You should be more careful in the future," she said almost inaudibly, "these are very sensitive files." In shock, Roy let Hawkeye's hand slip from his own. Did she know that he had just wanted to give her something to do? No, she would have gotten angry and shot at him if that were the case. Out of the corner of his eye, Roy noticed that her holster was empty and he blanched. **

"**Lieutenant, where is your gun?" He asked. **

**She looked away and continued to gather the papers. "I did not think that it would be practical to carry one." **

"**Why? You love your guns." She cleaned them so much that it was frightening. **

**A flash of anger passed over Haweye's features, but she mastered herself easily. "I would not be able to use it. Even if your life was in danger I would not be able to help you." Roy growled in frustration and forced the lieutenant to face him. She was still angry, very angry, but he could not understand at what. Her breathing was deep, and beneath his hands that held her cheeks he could see that her face was flushed. **

"**Riza, even without your sight you are still the most skilled marksman that Central has. I'm going to prove it." Obviously, by the way that Hawkeye seemed to freeze, his disregard of her title or surname affected her as he had hoped. **

"**It's Lieutenant or Hawkeye, **_**sir**_**. You know that." **

"**Yes, yes, we can debate that later." Roy smiled to himself. At least some things would never change. "I'll be back in an hour or so." Roy knew what he needed to do; it would be a bit difficult to pull off, and most likely it would take some convincing for Hawkeye to go through with it, but he knew it needed to be done. Roy could abide it when the lieutenant called him useless, he knew that in some cases the title fit quite well, but she was the most capable person he knew. If she was useless it would mean that the rest of them were a drove of drooling idiots. **

"**Havoc," he called as he went to his subordinates' work room, "follow me." **

**The ever-present cigarette bobbed between the officer's lips for a moment. "Sure chief." **

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**Riza was not sure what to do with herself. During the morning, as the colonel had been busy with work, she had been content to sit quietly and think to herself. To her surprise, and annoyance, most often her thoughts drifted back to Colonel Mustang. Riza thought about things he had said to her in the past, arguments they had had, and to all the painful moments she had come close to voicing her feelings for him. They were painful because of the fact that the words had not been said, and that she had had to bite her tongue. Riza was quite certain that she did not actually need to tell the colonel that she loved him; after everything they'd been through it was something that was simply understood. All that morning she had listened to the scratching of his pen and his grunts of irritation when he came across a passage he disliked. If she concentrated hard enough, she could picture him sitting there up to his face in work. **

**Mustang's uniform probably had the top button undone because he disliked how stuffy it could become, and for his own protection he would be wearing his ignition gloves. She thought his hair was probably a mess; Riza had heard the multiple times that he had run his hands through it. Mustang's expression would be bored or angry, depending on the exact nature of the paper he was working on. His eyes would be mostly focused on his work, but every now and again he would look up at her and stare; he always would look at her when he thought she would not notice. Riza wished he would show more discretion. **

**Riza knew that knocking over the papers had been no accident and she was touched by his concern. She knew she had been wrong to snap at him, but she had been frustrated with her inability to contribute. The fact that Mustang had to go out of his way to give her something to do only made it worse. Riza sighed as she picked up another one of the papers. She knew that they were still out of sorts, there were too many papers for them to have been separated by vellum and non-vellum paper. It must have been the only thing Mustang could think of for her to differentiate between the papers. Riza frowned at the pile she held in her hands. These were all of the cases against December. She had worked on a few of those cases when they had still been fresh and considering what she had seen the man deserved a much harsher punishment. However, Riza knew that she was not unbiased. She wanted revenge but she could not allow herself to take it. The desire for revenge was a selfish, corrupting thing. **

**Riza was called away from her thoughts by a quiet knock on the door. "Come in," she answered. By the footfalls she could tell that two people had entered the room, but because they had not yet spoken she did not know who. Riza hurried to her feet holding the files and pretended to be reading over them. "What do you need?" She asked without looking up. **

**One man snapped a salute. "Sergeant Dulsk, ma'am. I've been sent to retrieve the files on the December case, Lieutenant Hawkeye." Riza took in a deep breath and held the papers out towards the direction the voice had come from. She kept her face as impassive as she possibly could and waited. "Are you sure those are all of the files?" **

**Riza felt her insides jump. Why wouldn't they leave? What were they waiting for? "Yes; these are all of the pertinent files the Colonel and I gathered." **

"**What about those two papers on the floor?" It was the second man this time. Unlike Dulsk's voice, the second man's voice sounded somewhat familiar but she could not place from where. **

**Riza tried her best to sound nonchalant. "Ah, excuse me. Colonel Mustang threw a tantrum earlier and those papers must have slipped out." **

"**Oh don't worry about it," said Dulsk, "I'll get-" the sergeant was cut off, and Riza assumed that the second man had given him a look. **

"**Would you mind getting them lieutenant? I have a bad back." Something in the man's tone was off. He knew. He knew that she was blind. Riza went to hook a stray lock of hair behind her ear when her fingers brushed against the cold metal wiring of the glasses. Colonel Mustang had bought them for her; he wanted her to continue by his side. What would they do to him if they found out? Any hope of him reaching his goal would be crushed, and Riza could not allow that to happen. **

"**Certainly, sir," she said coolly. When Dulsk had said 'those two papers' he had been inclining his head more to the right side of the room. The colonel hadn't hit the stack too far, and because she had bumped into it earlier she knew his desk was less than a foot away from her. The papers had to be near to the wall, perhaps a foot or two further than where she now stood. Riza took a step to the right. **

"**Lieutenant where are you going?" Questioned the second man. "The papers are over here." Riza gritted her teeth. It was now or never. She knelt to the ground and reached out. **

**Riza smiled brightly to herself as her fingers grazed a welcome surface. "I'm sorry sir, you must be mistaken." She held out the papers to where she thought Dulsk was standing. "Here they are." Dulsk took them and the three of them stood there silently. It was at that moment that the office doors burst open. **

"**Hawkeye!" It was Colonel Mustang. "Oh good, I see you've already given the files to General White." Riza nodded; she didn't dare move in any other way. So, that was why the man had sounded familiar. "Thank you Lieutenant, it was a big help for you to finish those up for me." **

"**Think nothing of it Colonel." Someone heavy walked in front of her. She stood at attention, attempting to focus her eyes forward. **

"**I suppose it was my mistake earlier, excuse me." General White saluted and Riza returned it crisply. "Until next time." The men left and barely a minute later Mustang shouted for Furey, Breda, and Farman. **

"**I told you to keep an eye on things in here." The colonel knew better than to shout but his tone was more menacing than Riza had ever heard. **

"**We're sorry Colonel," Breda pleaded, "but the general ordered us to stay put!" **

"**We really did try!" Furey exclaimed. "Can you forgive us Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Riza knew the colonel was still on edge with his temper. She held her hand out and took a step forward, searching for him. Finding the fringe of his shoulder, Riza held tight. **

"**I understand and am not in the least bit angry. I managed to keep control of the situation, and nothing is yet definite. The bigger problem is finding out how the general found out in the first place." **

"**Damn it!" Roy muttered, and Riza felt his body tense beneath her hand. "I didn't want to get the court marshal office involved so soon. I didn't want them involved at all. How did it get this bad this fast?" **

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**A/N: Yay for the rising action! How did General White find out about Riza? What was Roy planning to bring her confidence back? Tune in to the next chapter to find the answer to these questions and MORE!!! Haha… **

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**Rinoax….. …. … … …. … … … … … … Thanks! ^_^ **


	9. Perverted old men

Hi, hi everyone! Super fun fic time! I really hope you guys like this chapter. I was so happy with the reviews from the last chapter, I love reading your thoughts ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal alchemist.

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The four officers stood in the room in a huddle as they tried to think of an answer to the question Roy had asked. He waited for their input silently, not trusting himself to speak because he was still furious over what had happened. It really wasn't their fault; General White was much higher ranked in the Dog Show that was the military. Despite knowing that Roy still wanted to burn their disobeying asses. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was the tentative grip Lieutenant Hawkeye had on his shoulder. Roy glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. She had the same steely, composed expression that she had been wearing when he had first burst into the office, however now she kept her eyes closed. He noticed that she had been doing that more often. Perhaps it was easier that way for her.

"Sir," said Farman, "could it be that December said something to them?"

Roy nodded. "I don't see any other option right now, but I don't want to jump to conclusions yet."

"If it helps, sir, I believe my performance bought us a little time," Hawkeye said. "General White seemed to accept that there was nothing wrong with my eyes." It was true; the General had seemed to be content with what he had seen. What frightened Roy was the fact that the general could have just decided to bide his time and gather a sufficient amount of evidence against them. They needed to be very careful, White was a persistent man.

"Lieutenant I'd like you to go through what happened, step by step, as you recall it," Roy asked her.

"I heard two people walk into the office," Hawkeye began. Roy noticed a slight hesitance in the way she spoke, and her brow was furrowed. "Neither of them identified themselves as they entered and I did not want to make any assumptions so I pretended to be reading the files. One of the men introduced himself as Sargent Dulsk. When I went to hand the documents to the sergeant he commented that their were a couple papers on the ground, and General White asked me to pick them up due to his bad back."

"A bad back?" Roy growled. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."

"By his tone, colonel, it was clear that discretion was not the general's top priority. I believe he was attempting to see if I would hesitate."

"Did you lieutenant?"

She turned towards him, eyes open, and gave Roy what he had long ago dubbed the 'I'm-super-annoyed, -you're-an-idiot-for-asking-that' glare. Of course only he would have recognized it as such, due to her careful discretion. "No, sir. I could not afford to."

Roy chuckled. "Just checking."

"There's another possibility," said Havoc from the doorway. Everyone glanced at the new arrival and Roy signaled for him to close the door. "By the way chief, everything is set up."

Roy nodded his thanks. At least they would still have time for that bit of fun after things had settled down. "What's the other idea you have Havoc?"

The officer took a long drag from his cigarette, his gaze flicking over to Hawkeye briefly. "Maybe he just wanted to get a closer look at the lieutenant's… attributes… while she was bending over. General White seems like the old, perverted type." For a moment there was a shocked silence, then Furey let out something between a gasp and a squeak, and the others looked away from Hawkeye, gracefully pretending not to notice the bright blush that had spread over her face. Roy saw her hand reflexively twitch towards her holster and for the first time that day he was glad that it was empty. Probably the maintenance guys too, who were in charge of fixing the bullet holes the lieutenant fired into the building. For his part, Roy turned to Havoc who looked back at him with a 'don't shoot the messenger' expression.

Trying to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation, Roy smirked. "I'm sure the general was disappointed; these uniforms are the natural enemy of a woman's curves."

"Colonel!" Hawkeye managed to sputter out.

"I've been telling them to switch to miniskirts for years." Bad choice of words. Roy happened to glance over at the other men in time to see their eyes running down Hawkeye from top to bottom. The bastards were trying to picture her in a miniskirt! Roy glared at Havoc, who obviously had been enjoying the picture the most, and then at the other officers and lifted up his ignition-gloved hand. The men took the point rather quickly and stopped looking at his lieutenant. Roy amended his plan mentally: all female officers EXCEPT Hawkeye would wear miniskirts. Roy would rather suffer a skirt-less Hawkeye than one that would be gawked at all day long. "Anyway," he said loudly, "what happened after he asked you to pick up the files?"

Having missed the exchange between the male officers, Hawkeye went on unperturbed. "I made a guess based on how close I knew I was to the desk, how far you usually hit papers from it when you're in a mood, and the direction Dulsk was facing when he spoke."

"You were really able to figure out where the papers where from just that?" Breda asked incredulously.

Hawkeye's smile was a nervous one. "I'm still here aren't I? Though General White tried to confuse me."

"What do you mean?" Roy asked, his eyes narrowing.

"There are no other papers on the floor, correct?"

The others nodded, remembered she couldn't see the movement, and said yes to confirm it. "He said that I was heading in the wrong direction, I suppose he was taking another chance on seeing if I would hesitate."

Roy wipped a hand across his face in shock. "That's what he was referring to with the 'mistake.'" Roy couldn't believe how close they had come to losing it all. It frightened him. "We can not have a situation like this happen in the future," he told them. "If I am not with the lieutenant than one of you is to be with her. Understand?"

"Sir!" The men chorused with a salute.

"Go wait at the range, Hawkeye and I will meet you there shortly. Havoc, you can fill them in on the way."

"Right, chief." Roy watched the men file out of the room with a frown. If they didn't follow through with his orders someone was going to be torched. As the door closed with a muted thud Hawkeye let go of his shoulder. She was shaking.

"Lieutenant," he murmured with concern. Roy didn't need to ask whether she was ok; just looking at the way she was hugging herself he could tell that she had been struggling all that time to remain composed. Hawkeye was one who always behaved while there was company; it was what her father had taught her. Roy recalled one specific time when they were children where Hawkeye, no, Riza at that time, had cried in front of her father; he had refused to let her have dinner and lunch for four days. Of course Roy had slipped her most of his own meals, but the lessons of her father had still taken hold. He was glad that she at least trusted him enough to show her feelings in front of him. It was an important privilege. Roy took in a deep breath as he guided Hawkeye over to the sofa and stood behind her. She didn't resist too much, just a weak shrug when he first wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. "I should not have left you for so long." She relaxed against him and leant her head against his chest.

"Please colonel, I told you before not to blame yourself." Her soft hands wrapped around his forearms and, instead of trying to pry him off like he though she would do, Hawkeye eased his arms together so that he was holding her closer. Roy smiled and kissed the top of her head, savoring the sweet smell of her hair.

"I will accept that," Roy said, "but I have one condition." Hawkeye stilled, and her grip tightened ever-so slightly.

"…Yes colonel?"

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A/N: Oh a short chapter AND a cliffy! Sorry about that, and the fact that nothing uber exiting happened… I promise more Royai for the next chapter. I'm going to have a lot to do this week and I have the SATs next weekend to boot. Just need to bring my math score up a bit and finalize my college choices for next year. Super fun ^_^

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Rinoax, Athena's Heart, hand-made-city, kristie94,MoonsStarDutchess, tedlibear, and Resha Tsubaki. -------------------------Thank you so much everyone, I really love you guys! Please give me any feedback or suggestions you might have!!!!


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